The lone building that still stands at the main intersection in the abandoned
town of Eliasville. - Photo courtesy Noel
Kerns, September 2007

History in a Pecan
shell

Settled in the 1870s, ranchers William Leander and Thomas Franklin
Donnell established ranches here in 1876, and later built the flour mill as well
as a stone dam and a pedestrian suspension bridge. The mill burned in 1927.

The town was named after the first storekeeper, Elias DeLong.

With
the oil boom of 1921 Eliasville was incorporated, and the town grew rapidly to
a population high of 1,500.

At its zenith, Eliasville had two movie theaters,
various stores, several churches, a school, hotel and three gas stations.

The population dropped to only 400 in 1940, and by 1980 it was down to around
100.

The clear fork of the Brazos River flows gently by the remains of the old Donnell
Mill, built in 1895 in Eliasville. - Photo courtesy Noel
Kerns, September 2007

An
early picture of the mill. Vintage photo courtesy of Gerry Grantham Hill with
special thanks to Georgia Pratt Cunningham and Margaret Donnell Lambkin

Eliasville
Texas Forum

Eliasville Families of 1883 and what is a battling block?" Subject: Gordon
Family, Eliasville, Tx
I am reading a diary of an ancestor of the Gordon Family that lived in Eliasville,
Tx in the year 1883. The family of George Washington Gordon. The story is written
by Laura Gordon Coker. The property was located on the Clear Fork of the Brazos
River. Gage Creek ran diagonally across the farm. She said they went to Gage Creek
School and Mr Ludwick was the teacher. Laura said the desks were just benches
which had legs that stood out like legs on a battling block. "What is a battling
block?" She said the names of the school children she went to school with were,
Wiley Jones family, the Bill Donalds, Tom Donalds, the Daws, the Stewarts the
Ed Davis famly and the Delongs and Longs. Are there any of these family's still
there? I would gladly share this diary of hers for more information and would
love to visit Eliasville to get a feel of the town and any areas that might have
been. Thank you, Cheryl Spradlin, October 18, 2006

Subject:
Eliasville Pictures
Attached please find two photos from Eliasville. My family history is sketchy
at best; however, I am the great, great grandson of Elias De Long. One of the
pictures attached is supposedly Elias with his wife Malissa Sue. (I originally
did not have Elias’s wife’s name, but recently learned it was Malissa Sue. Any
confirmation would be appreciated.) Also attached is a picture of the De Long
Ward school from 1929. My father was born in Eliasville, and I believe he is in
the picture somewhere. Thanks, James D. Allen, Son of Milton O’Neal Allen,
who was the son of Fred and Vernie Allen. Fred was son of Tabitha De Long and
Andrew J. Allen. Tabitha was daughter of Elias and Malissa Sue, July 01, 2006

Subject:
Eliasville, Texas
I am a great-grandson of T.F. Donnell and was born in Eliasville. Moved away for
several years and have been back in Eliasville for about twelve years, happily
in the house, I was born in. It is the homestead of W.W. Cunningham, my maternal
great-grandparents. It is a lovely community to live in and I have many fond memories
of growing up in Eliasville. It was a perfect place for a young boy to roam, run,
swim, hunt, and play in. - Louis F. Donnell, Jr. June 13, 2006

Just a note
to let you know that "F. T." Donnell should be "T. F." - as in Thomas Franklin.
His brother "W. L." Donnell was William Leander. I am a great grand-daughter
of Thomas Franklin Donnell, and I grew up in Eliasville. While there may not be
many people left in the quaint little town, there are no ghosts, other than what
someone might imagine. I am attaching an early picture of the mill. - Margaret
Donnell Lambkin, July 28, 2004